A BIRMINGHAM family accused of rejecting their newborn IVF twins because they were not boys today hit out at the "lies" saying: "We love our little girls."

They opened their hearts to the Birmingham Mail and said claims they had not visited the twin girls since their birth two weeks ago had brought great upset to the family.

They said it should be a time of celebration and that reports they had rejected the children were "simply not true".

The mother, in her early 50s, and father, in his late 60s, have visited the babies constantly, both at Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital where they were delivered and at a Birmingham hospital, where they were transferred within days to be nearer to the couple's home.

The couple's adult son said the accusations were "terrible", and family wanted to everyone to know the truth.

"The claims are not true and are lies," he said.

"They feel so happy to have both girls and have been seeing the babies since they were born."

NHS West Midland health authority and officials at both hospitals confirmed that the parents had been by the babies' sides and were "very attentive".

A Birmingham Social Services spokesman said they have not been involved with the family and there were no reports of them ever abandoning or rejecting their children.

Reports the woman went to India to get pregnant via IVF treatment, purely to have a son, have not been substantiated.

"My mother had to give birth over in Wolverhampton because there was no space in the maternity wards here," said their son. She had severe sciatica causing pain to her back afterwards and was in hospital with the twins for days, but it became easier for them to be moved over to a hospital nearer where we live.

"The twins would be home with us already, but they are a little underweight, although healthy. My parents have been visiting them constantly and want them to come home.

"My mother is still ill and all this is extremely upsetting for her."

An unnamed hospital worker in Wolverhampton had claimed the couple abandoned the babies after their birth two weeks ago because they were the "wrong sex".

None of the accusations have been confirmed by any named health workers, hospitals or authorities.

New Cross Hospital has confirmed the parents' comments that they were with the twins daily since their birth.